The F1 thread

sinbaadi

It's a bit tragic really.  Just one bad decision after another and he will be without question the driver with the biggest gap between his talent and his achievements, and considering his WDC titles that is saying something.

I'd love to see him in Indy cars, but really I want Bottas or Kimi to give up their seat for him next year and it be a year of education for the likes of LH and SV.  And here endeth the fairy tale.

Boromedic

Whilst he is undoubtedly a great driver, how can he educate Lewis and/or Sebastian? In the case of Lewis, he is the only driver Fernando considers equal to him in terms of the same era. Lewis beat him fair and square in his debut F1 season in the same car, there is no fairer comparison than that. Were it not for McLaren's dubious Ferrari dossier and a stupid strategy issue in China, they would have taken the constructors and Lewis the drivers championship that year.

Heartfeltdawn

sinbaadi said:

It's a bit tragic really.  Just one bad decision after another and he will be without question the driver with the biggest gap between his talent and his achievements, and considering his WDC titles that is saying something.

And Stirling Moss never won the WDC so maybe he has greater claim to that. Or possibly Gilles Villeneuve. 

Alonso drove in the right way and that's what matters. He was amazing in some of those shitty Ferraris and even in the underpowered McLaren has come up with some great moments. Titles and wins are not everything and never should be. The way you go about your business can be just as important. To quote Moss:

""To me," he once said, "the idea of driving for points goes against the whole point of racing. That's why I so admired Villeneuve's approach. If you're not trying to win at all costs, what on Earth are you doing there?

"As far as I'm concerned, boy, any driver who's worth the name tries to win every race he runs. Eventually, the world championship ceased to be very important to me."

That approach is why Colin McRae was so loved. Other drivers won more races and were more consistent but nobody drove like he did, that line between success and disaster. 

Boromedic

Fernando's ability to outdrive the car is better than anyone else on the grid at the moment, Lewis included. Vettel needs a car setup for him to succeed, Max may well get to be that good if he stops being petulant, Lewis isn't far off but Alonso is definitely the best at that. You are also right that his balls out racing is truly up there among the main reasons we love him. You could also include Mansell in that, should have won more titles and walked the one he won against zero opposition. However his racing ability and bravery were truly outstanding and he deserved that title after the shit he went through before. 

Fretwired

Ferrari news ....

Ricciardo is supposed to have a signed an option to join Ferrari next year (BBC).


Ferrari could be in trouble for breaking technical regulations via blown exhausts and extra modes controlled by a paddle on the steering wheel ..

http://www.marca.com/en/more-sports/2018/04/24/5adf5d66e5fdea2d2e8b46aa.html

Fretwired

Williams to quit? Claire Williams is very negative and downbeat ... maybe Williams need a new boss.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-our-sport-is-basically-broken/

PC_Dave

Fretwired said:

Williams to quit? Claire Williams is very negative and downbeat ... maybe Williams need a new boss.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-our-sport-is-basically-broken/

She’s not wrong though!! 

Fretwired

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

Williams to quit? Claire Williams is very negative and downbeat ... maybe Williams need a new boss.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-our-sport-is-basically-broken/

She’s not wrong though!! 

But she should keep these thoughts to herself. If you're a sponsor you'd run a mile. She has to motivate the team to do better whilst privately fighting to get a better deal for Williams behind the scenes. This is her Gerald Ratner moment. Frank didn't act like this ...

PC_Dave

Fretwired said:

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

Williams to quit? Claire Williams is very negative and downbeat ... maybe Williams need a new boss.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-our-sport-is-basically-broken/

She’s not wrong though!! 

But she should keep these thoughts to herself. If you're a sponsor you'd run a mile. She has to motivate the team to do better whilst privately fighting to get a better deal for Williams behind the scenes. This is her Gerald Ratner moment. Frank didn't act like this ...

Don’t agree. If no one speaks out, nothing gets done.

TimmyO

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

Williams to quit? Claire Williams is very negative and downbeat ... maybe Williams need a new boss.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-our-sport-is-basically-broken/

She’s not wrong though!! 

But she should keep these thoughts to herself. If you're a sponsor you'd run a mile. She has to motivate the team to do better whilst privately fighting to get a better deal for Williams behind the scenes. This is her Gerald Ratner moment. Frank didn't act like this ...

Don’t agree. If no one speaks out, nothing gets done.

Things don't get done because someone whines publically, they get done as a result of constructive moves within the industry.

I agree that this is a bonkers thing to come out with - it's encouraging sponsors to move on and demoralising a team 

Fretwired

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

PC_Dave said:

Fretwired said:

Williams to quit? Claire Williams is very negative and downbeat ... maybe Williams need a new boss.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-our-sport-is-basically-broken/

She’s not wrong though!! 

But she should keep these thoughts to herself. If you're a sponsor you'd run a mile. She has to motivate the team to do better whilst privately fighting to get a better deal for Williams behind the scenes. This is her Gerald Ratner moment. Frank didn't act like this ...

Don’t agree. If no one speaks out, nothing gets done.

Disagree. She can talk to Brawn and co behind closed doors. They are sympathetic. All she's done is damage her brand and Williams is now the butt of the pitlane jokes. And some would point to the fact that there are teams with less resources and money which are doing better. Williams have Mercedes engines. They just have a crap car and inexperienced drivers who can't really help develop it and that's down to the team.

TimmyO

She said: "There are teams with less money than we have who are doing a better job."

TimmyO

TimmyO said:

She said: "There are teams with less money than we have who are doing a better job."

quite 

Cols

https://www.bbc.com/sport/amp/formula1/43904342

McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer is out on his ear. The first of many heads to roll, I’m sure.

Garthy

Cols said:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/amp/formula1/43904342

McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer is out on his ear. The first of many heads to roll, I’m sure.

It was only a matter of time, when people on their sofas can see the problem but the team can’t heads will roll eventually. 

Fretwired

Cols said:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/amp/formula1/43904342

McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer is out on his ear. The first of many heads to roll, I’m sure.

Is he? Sounds like he's being moved. Maybe the current structure doesn't work rather than the people.

Cols

Fretwired said:

Cols said:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/amp/formula1/43904342

McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer is out on his ear. The first of many heads to roll, I’m sure.

Is he? Sounds like he's being moved. Maybe the current structure doesn't work rather than the people.

 Possibly; the article does say “removed from his post” rather than “fired”.  There is an interesting insight into McLaren’s technical organisation:

“Goss, who is 55 and has worked for McLaren since 1990, had technical oversight of the car's chassis. As such, he led the design team alongside Peter Prodromou, chief technical officer with responsibility for aerodynamics, and Matt Morris, the chief engineering officer.”

Which means you have three equal departments and no-one in overall charge of the whole package, unless you count Boullier.

Fretwired

Mad Max at it again .... yet another wrecked car. He's getting as bad as Pastor Maldonado.

PC_Dave

http://hasverstappencrashedtoday.net/

PC_Dave

PC_Dave said:

http://hasverstappencrashedtoday.net/

Slightly out of date, but the thought is there...